Many cymbals possess a center cup, having a smaller curvature radius than the remainder of the cymbal. In one type of cymbals, the curvature of the cup and of the remainder of the cymbal, though different in radius, are in the same direction. Examples of this type of cymbal include “splash,” “crash” and “ride” cymbals. In another general type of cymbals, the cup and the remainder of the cymbal are curved in different directions. A “china” cymbal is an example of this type.
In some existing cymbals, the inadvertent application of force to the cymbal can cause a “reversal” of the cymbal—where the curvature of the remainder of the cymbal reverses relative to the curvature of the cup. Examples of this inadvertent application of force include over-clamping of the cymbal within certain types of carrying cases, or stepping on a cymbal placed on the floor. Significantly, percussionists regard this as a catastrophe, and rightly so, as the reversal frequently results in the fracture of the cymbal. Even where the cymbal survives the initial reversal, fracture of the cymbal will often attend the attempted restoration of the original curvature. No conventional cymbal is adapted to survive repeated, intentional reversals of the curvature of the remainder of the cymbal relative to the cup.